Corks are used as stoppers for a variety of bottles and containers. The corks are generally inserted into the opening of the neck of the bottle until the cork is flush with the top of the opening of the bottle.
Corkscrews have long been used to remove cork stoppers. In its simplest form, a corkscrew generally includes a spiral-shaped stainless steel element having a point at one end and a handle at the other end. The operator inserts the pointed end of the corkscrew into the cork and rotates the handle while applying force until the spiral-shaped element of the corkscrew has completely penetrated the cork. The operator then pulls upwardly on the handle while holding the bottle down to remove the cork.
The popularity of wine has spawned variations of the above described, basic corkscrew. One such variation, popularly known as the "Ah So" (TM), substitutes two thin, parallel flattened prongs for the basic spiral-shaped element. The pointed ends of the metallic prongs are positioned between the inside neck of the bottle and the cork and the "Ah So" is gently rocked back and forth with downwardly applied pressure until the two prongs have moved downwardly between the sides of the bottle and the cork. The user then twists the handle, while pulling upwardly, and the cork is thereby removed between the two prongs.
Other prior art corkscrews include pressurized devices designed to remove the corks with air or gas pressure, and machine-based, lever driven corkscrews.
Improper storage of wine bottles may cause the corks to become dry and friable. The removal of damaged, dry, broken or otherwise defective corks has not been possible with any of the discussed prior art cork removal devices. A friable, or otherwise defective cork, may crumble and break during removal attempts using the prior art devices. A broken section of the cork may remain lodged within the neck of the bottle and may not be retrieved with the prior art corkscrew. The user may try to push the broken section through the neck in order to pour the liquid trapped in the bottle. Bits of broken cork may be floating in the liquid making it unpalatable or unsuitable for drinking.
Another problem with prior art cork removal devices is the downwardly extending pressure that is typically applied to the cork during removal. The downward pressure may cause a cork to be pushed downwardly through the neck of the bottle where it remains out of reach floating in the liquid.
One prior art method used to remove floating corks is a long, three-fingered device designed to entrap the floating cork for removal. Such a device does not retrieve bits of cork, and the size of the device makes it somewhat impractical for use.
As can be seen from the discussion of the prior art, an unsolved need exists for a device that will enable the removal of broken corks from the neck of a bottle, and will also retrieve a cork or cork section that has been pushed through the neck of a bottle.